Vacuum cleaner attachment for swimming pool skimmer



Sept. 19, 1961 c. A. SPAULDING ETAL 3,000,508

VACUUM CLEANER ATTACHMENT FOR SWIMMING POOL SKIMMER Filed Dec. 13, 1956VEN TORS,

449/195 Gbe/"fiO/ I 94.. s

Char/es "Spoofing Patented Sept. 19, 1961 Nebr.

Filed Dec. 13, 1956, Ser. No. 628,029 1 Claim. (Cl. 210-477) Thisinvention relates to the cleaning of swimming pools and moreparticularly it is an object of this invention to provide a connectorattachable to a conventional swimming pool skimmer at its main entrancefor more economically placing a vacuum hose in communication with theskimmer.

Heretofore vacuum hoses have been attached at the edge of the pool, notto a connector, and not to the main entrance of the skimmer but to apipe or secondary line leading not to the skimmer, but to the mainfilter and pump, as necessitates an extra and costly pipinginstallation, which by-passes the skimmer.

A further objective is to make possible the use of the conventionalskimmer to collect leaves and heavy foreign matter which heretofore hascollected at the hair catcher and filter whereby there has been a greatnuisance from the need for the operator to run back and forth betweenvacuum cleaning of the pool and the cleaning and unplugging the distanthair catcher or filter.

A further object is to make use of the skimmer, instead of by-passingthe skimmer, during vacuum cleaning whereby the operator need not go toa distant filter to remove leaves, but can do so at the skimmer which isconveniently close, and further whereby the operator need not removeleaves as often, because of the larger openings in the skimmer basket ascompared with the smaller and more easily clogged openings in the mainfilter.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claim,the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselvesas the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in whichthe principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalentprinciples may be used and structural changes may be made as desired bythose skilled in the art without departing from the present inventionand the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the adapter of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through a portion of a swimming pool andof a swimming pool skimmer showing the adapter in operational positionattached to a section of a hose.

This invention adds the use of an adapter generally indicated at inFIGURE 1 to the equipment now used in cleaning swimming pools and insubstitution for certain parts of the equipment in use heretofore.

The adapter 10, as best seen in FIGURE 1, has an elongated verticallydisposed conduit -12 which can be attached at its upper end to an elbow14 having a short nipple 15 attached to its upper end and extending at aright angle to the elongated conduit 12.

The conduit 12, the elbow 14, and the nipple 15, together form a conduitmeans to which a hose can be attached by means of a clamp 22, as bestseen in FIG- URE 2.

The hose 20 is a hose leading to a wide pickup member not shown. Suchhoses are long enough for the easy cleaning of swimming pools andoperation called vacuum cleaning.

At its lower end the adapter 10 has a normally horizontally disposedwide cover or sealing member 16 which is suitably secured to the lowerend of the conduit 12 and is preferably of a circular shape as seen intop plan view.

The purpose of the sealing member 16 is to seal and close an upper inletopening 30 of the perforate skimming basket 32 of a conventionalautomatic swimming pool skimming unit which latter is generallyindicated in FIGURE '2 at 36.

The skimming unit 36 has a housing having a lower portion 38 closelysurrounding the basket 32 and provided with a bottom having an outletopening 40 to which suitable fittings 42 are attached to carry water toa pipe 44 leading to a suitable pumping unit.

The housing 36 has an upper portion 48 of larger diameter than the lowerportion 38 whereby a shoulder 50 exists between the two. The shoulder 50can also be called an annular ledge and is preferably called a firstannular ledge 50.

A second annular ledge "52 exists and is disposed inwardly anddownwardly of the ledge 50 above which the closure or sealing member 16is disposed for sealing the opening in the housing 36 which is disposedbetween the portions 38 and 48.

The second annular ledge 52 is formed by the provision of an annularnotch 53 of which the second annular ledge 52 forms the bottom surfaceagainst which the cover or ceiling member 16 is received.

The sealing member 16 is of a larger size than the opening between thehousing portions 38 and 48 and the sealing member 16 overlaps the ledge52 preferably at all points whereby pumping action effectively drawswater through the hose 20 and the conduit 12 into the basket 32 and thenout through the pipe 44.

It will -be seen that the conduit 12 has an open lower end and that thesealing member 16 has an opening 60 therethrough for receiving the lowerend of the conduit 12.

It will be seen that the skimmer housing lower portion 38 and upperportion 48 together form a collector tank 36 having an open top adjacentthe ground surface, the pipe 68 is a branch on the collector tank 36 andthe conduit 12 can also be called a pipe 12 serving as a handle andextending substantially to the ground surface.

As best seen in FIGURE 2 the skimmer 36 is normally disposed in theconcrete 62 at the edge of a pool 64. Such skimmers normally receiveoverflow water through a conduit 68 near the top of a pool 64, theconduit 68 being disposed through the upper housing portion 48 and beingin communication with the interior thereof.

In installation the adapter is put into the position shown in FIGURE 2and suitable keepers 70 are pivotally swung out across the upper surfaceof the ceiling member 16 to hold the member 16 in place.

The keepers 70 are secured by bolts 72 vertically disposed through theirouter ends whereby the keepers 70 are pivotally arranged and operatelike latches to quickly and effectively hold the sealing member 16 in aposition for closing the upper side of the lower housing portion 38 andthereby the upper side of the basket 32.

As thus described it will be seen that this invention has fulfilled theobjects hereinabove set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that avacuum cleaner attachment for swimming pool skimmer constructed inaccordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use, byreason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembledand operated, and it will also be obvious that our 3 invention issusceptible of some change and modification without departing from theprinciples and spirit thereof, and for this reason we do not wish to beunderstood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement andformation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out ourinvention in practice, except as claimed.

We claim:

In a filtering and skimming unit comprising: a collector tank having anopen top adjacent the ground surface, and a filtering device in saidtank, the improvement comprising a removable cover in said tank abovesaid filter, said cover having an aperture therethrough, and a pipeattached to said cover and extending upwardly from said cover, the innerwall of said collector tank having a first inwardly extending annularportion having a generally horizontal first annular ledge on its uppersurface and further having a second generally horizontal inwardlyextending annular portion disposed below said first inwardly extendingportion and having on its upper surface a second generally horizontalannular ledge receiving receiving thereon and supporting said cover, andkeepers each having an end pivotally attached to the upper side of saidfirst annular ledge for horizontal swinging move ments of the other endof each keeper, said other end of each keeper being swingable from astorage position above said first ledge, to permit removal of saidcover, to a keeping position such that said other end of each keeper isdisposed above said cover for preventing said cover from coming upwardlyout of place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,442,787 Scherninger Ian. 16, 1923 2,792,943 Mackintosh May 21, 19572,844,255 Cavenah et al. July 22, 1958

